---
title: "NFC"
description: "Version and platform compatibility"
permalink: /docs/build/js-ts-apis/nfc/
---
# NFC

<Info title={"Version and platform compatibility"}>

* NFC support was introduced in version **4.47.0** of the JourneyApps Container.
* NFC is currently only supported on Android and iOS:
  * An Android, reading tags and writing tags is supported since JourneyApps Container version 4.47.0
  * On iOS, reading tags is supported since JourneyApps Container version 4.47.0, and writing tags is supported since iOS 13 and Container version 22.12.2.

</Info>

### Reading Tags

On Android, tags can be read without explicit user action. On iOS, foreground mode must be triggered specifically.

![](./media/spaces-2f9tchlr67elhbojpvhhud-2fuploads-2fgit-blob-ba4decef579f6e7083567f8a987dd30278d6b079-2fnfc-ios-ready-to-scan-bc9ce8cf.png)

**main.js**

```javascript
function init() {
    startListening();
}

function resume(from) {
    startListening();
}

function scan() {
    if (nfc.info().supportsTrigger) {
        // iOS
        nfc.triggerForegroundRead();
    } else {
        // No need for the trigger on Android.
        notification.info('Hold the device against the NFC tag to scan');
    }
}

var lastScan = 0;
var busyScan = false;

function startListening() {
    if (nfc && nfc.listen) {
        console.log('Starting to listen for tags...');
        nfc.listen(function(tag) {
            // Prevent scanning multiple times in quick succession,
            // or opening multiple dialogs over each other.
            if (Date.now() - lastScan > 1000 && !busyScan) {
                busyScan = true;
                try {
                    console.log('Scanned', JSON.stringify(tag));
                    // Dialog just for development purposes
                    if (tag.records.length == 0) {
                        journey.dialog.simple({
                            title: 'Empty Tag', 
                            message: JSON.stringify(tag)
                        });
                        view.scanned_text = null;
                    } else {
                        journey.dialog.simple({
                            title: 'Tag', 
                            message: JSON.stringify(tag)
                        });
                        if (tag.records[0].text) {
                            view.scanned_text = tag.records[0].text;
                            journey.dialog.simple({
                                title: 'Tag', 
                                message: view.scanned_text
                            });
                        } else {
                            view.scanned_text = null;
                        }
                    }
                } finally {
                    busyScan = false;
                    lastScan = Date.now();
                    journey.forceDigest();
                }
            }
        });
    }
}
```

### Writing Tags

**main.js**

```javascript
function write(message) {
    if (nfc.info().supportsWrite) {
        console.log("Writing tag...");

        // nfc.write is an asynchronous method that returns a Promise.
        // To block on the write, return the Promise.
        nfc.write(message).then(function() {
            startListening(); // read listener must be started again after write
            notification.success("Tag written");
            journey.forceDigest();
        }, function(error) {
            startListening(); // read listener must be started again after write
            console.log("Tag write error:", error);
            journey.dialog.simple({
                title: 'NFC Write Error', 
                message: error
            });
            journey.forceDigest();
        });

        journey.dialog.simple({
            title: 'NFC', 
            message: 'Hold the device against the NFC tag to write'
        });
    } else {
        journey.dialog.error({
            title: 'NFC', 
            message: 'Tag writing not supported'
        });
    }
}

function writeText() {
    var message = [
        nfc.ndef.textRecord(view.text_to_write),
        nfc.ndef.textRecord('Date: ' + Date.now().toString()),
    ];
    write(message);
}

function writeUri() {
    var message = [
        nfc.ndef.uriRecord("https://www.journeyapps.com"),
    ];
    write(message);
}

function writeEmpty() {
    var message = [
        nfc.ndef.emptyRecord()
    ];
    write(message);
}
```